RF Power Amplifiers with Linearization
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A power amplifier device, comprising:
- an input port that receives an RF signal to be amplified in power;
an output port that outputs the RF signal that is amplified in power;
a plurality of cells electrically coupled to amplify the received RF signal, each of the cells having a first end coupled to the input port and a second end coupled to the output port and comprising one or more banks of transistors;
a bias circuit that provides a bias signal to turn on at least one bank of transistors in the plurality of cells and maintains a bias at the at least one bank during amplification of the RF signal;
an RF signal detector circuit that detects the RF signal to produce a detected voltage; and
a bias control circuit that receives the detected voltage, produces control signals based on the detected voltage, and supplies, respectively, the control signals to the banks of transistors other than the at least one bank of transistors that is biased on, to control an output current to increase with an increase in the control signals,wherein the cells, the bias circuit, the RF signal detector circuit and the bias control circuit are configured to increase an output power associated with the output current to increase a linear region and efficiency at a power back-off condition.
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Abstract
Designs and techniques associated with power amplifiers for amplifying RF signals to provide variable power amplification and improved linearity in various RF amplification circuits, including power amplifiers operated under the power back-off conditions.
40 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A power amplifier device, comprising:
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an input port that receives an RF signal to be amplified in power; an output port that outputs the RF signal that is amplified in power; a plurality of cells electrically coupled to amplify the received RF signal, each of the cells having a first end coupled to the input port and a second end coupled to the output port and comprising one or more banks of transistors; a bias circuit that provides a bias signal to turn on at least one bank of transistors in the plurality of cells and maintains a bias at the at least one bank during amplification of the RF signal; an RF signal detector circuit that detects the RF signal to produce a detected voltage; and a bias control circuit that receives the detected voltage, produces control signals based on the detected voltage, and supplies, respectively, the control signals to the banks of transistors other than the at least one bank of transistors that is biased on, to control an output current to increase with an increase in the control signals, wherein the cells, the bias circuit, the RF signal detector circuit and the bias control circuit are configured to increase an output power associated with the output current to increase a linear region and efficiency at a power back-off condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A power amplifier device, comprising:
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an input port that receives an RF signal to be amplified in power; an output port to output the RF signal that is amplified in power; a cell, including a first end coupled to the input port, a second end coupled to the output port and transistors that are segmented into a first bank and a second bank to amplify power of the RF signal; a variable output matching network (OMN) coupled between the cell and the output port to direct the RF signal that is amplified in power to the output port; a bias circuit that provides a bias signal to turn on the first bank and keep the first bank biased on during amplification of the RF signal; an RF signal detector circuit that detects the RF signal to produce a detected voltage; and a bias control circuit that receives the detected voltage, produces first and second control signals based on the detected voltage, and directs the first control signal to the second bank to control an output current to increase with an increase in the first control signal and the second control signal to the variable OMN, wherein the cell, the RF signal detector circuit, the bias circuit, the OMN and the bias control circuit are configured to increase an output power associated with the output current to expand a linear region and increase efficiency at a power back-off. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A power amplifier device for receiving an RF signal associated with an input power at an input port, amplifying the RF signal to an output power with a higher power level, and presenting the RF signal that is amplified and associated with the output power at an output port, the power amplifier device comprising:
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a plurality of cells, each of which has a first end coupled to the input port and a second end coupled to the output port and comprises at least one bank of transistors; a plurality of transmission lines connecting the plurality of cells, the output port, and the input port; and a control circuit coupled to the cells to provide control signals respectively for the banks of transistors to vary the output power by individually switching on and off the banks of transistors. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of amplifying an RF signal associated with an input power to an output power with a higher power level to have the RF signal that is amplified and associated with the output power by using a power amplifier device comprising a plurality of cells, each of which has a first end coupled to an input port and a second end coupled to an output port and comprises one or more banks of transistors, the method comprising steps of:
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applying a bias signal to turn on at least one bank of transistors in the plurality of cells and keep the at least one bank biased on during an operation; detecting the RF signal; converting the RF signal that is detected in the detecting step to a detected voltage; producing control signals based on the detected voltage; and applying the control signals respectively to the banks of transistors other than the at least one bank of transistors that is biased on, to control an output current to increase with an increase in the control signals to expand a linear region of the device and to increase efficiency of the device at a power back-off. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of amplifying an RF signal associated with an input power to an output power with a higher power level to have the RF signal that is amplified and associated with the output power by using a power amplifier device comprising a first cell and a second cell, each of which has a first end coupled to an input port and a second end coupled to an output port, the first cell comprising transistors segmented into a first bank of transistors and a second bank of transistors and the second cell comprising a third bank of transistors, the method comprising steps of:
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applying a bias signal to turn on the first bank and keep the first bank biased on during an operation of the device; detecting the RF signal; converting the RF signal, which is detected in the detecting step, to a detected voltage using a DC conversion; producing a control signal based on the detected voltage; and applying the control signal to the second bank and the third bank, to control an output current to increase with an increase in the control signal to expand a linear region and increase efficiency at a power back-off condition.
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33. A power amplifier device that provides a variable amplification to an RF signal based on a Composite Right and Left Handed Metamaterial structure, comprising:
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an input port to receive an input RF signal to be amplified; an output port to output an output RF signal that is amplified by amplifying the input RF signal; a plurality of banks of one or more transistors that amplify RF signals and are coupled between the input port and the output port; a plurality of transmission lines coupled to connect the banks of one or more transistors, the input port and the output port, at least one of the transmission lines including a Composite Right and Left Handed Metamaterial (CRLH MTM) structure; and a control mechanism coupled to the banks of one or more transistors to selectively switch on or off one or more banks of one or more transistors and to control the one or more banks of one or more transistors that are switched on to vary a power level of the output RF signal and efficiency of the device. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification